Eupatorium plant named &#39;Capri&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct form of  Eupatorium  plant characterized by leaves variegated grey green with creamy margins, a very stable leaf variegation, a low, upright habit, growing from 2 to 2½ feet tall, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Eupatorium fortunei

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Capri’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEupatorium fortunei, given the name, ‘Capri’. Eupatorium is in thefamily Asteraceae. This dwarf form was found as a whole plant mutationin the tissue culture lab in Canby, Oreg. It stood out as an extremelycompact form.

Compared to the parent plant, Eupatorium fortunei ‘Pink Frost’ (syn.‘Pink Elegance’), an unpatented plant, the new cultivar is much shorterand has a more stable variegation.

Compared to Eupatorium fortunei ‘Frosted Elegance’, U.S. Plant Patentapplied for, the new cultivar is much shorter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Eupatorium ‘Capri’ is uniquely distinguished by:

1. leaves variegated grey green with creamy margins,

2. a very stable leaf variegation,

3. a low, upright habit, growing from 2 to 2½ feet tall, and

4. excellent vigor.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttingsand micropropagation using terminal and lateral shoots as done in Canby,Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions cometrue to form and are established and transmitted through succeedingpropagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary withvariations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a ten-month-old Eupatorium ‘Capri’ growing in the trialfield in full sun in October in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a close up of a flower.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Eupatorium cultivarbased on observations of ten-month-old specimens grown outside in thetrial field in full sun in Canby, Oreg. in October. The colordescriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—perennial to subshrub.        -   Form.—upright.        -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 4-9.        -   Size.—grows to 38 cm wide and 53 cm high.        -   Vigor.—excellent.        -   Stem.—grows to 42 cm long and 6 mm wide, with internodes 1.5            cm to 4 cm long, pubescent except where woody at the base,            Yellow Green 147C in shade to Brown 200A in sun and at the            base.        -   Rooting.—roots easily from soft wood cuttings.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—simple.        -   Arrangement.—opposite.        -   Shape.—lower leaves ovate overall and deeply 3 cleft with            terminal segments oblong or oblong lanceolate and lateral            lobes lanceolate to elliptic; upper leaves lanceolate to            elliptic and 0 to 3 lobed.        -   Margins.—serrate.        -   Venation.—pinnate, Yellow Green 147D on top side and 147C on            bottom.        -   Apex.—acute to acuminate.        -   Base.—cuneate.        -   Blade size.—grows to 8.5 cm long and 5 cm wide.        -   Surface texture.—glabrous on top, pubescent on bottom.        -   Petiole.—grows to 1 mm to 7 mm long and 1.3 mm wide,            sparsely pubescent, Yellow Green 147B sometimes tinted            Greyed Purple 187B on topside.        -   Fragrance.—none.        -   Leaf color.—topside Yellow 2D on margins with centers            irregularly blotched Yellow Green 147B and with tints of            Greyed Purple 183B under stress or cool temperatures.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—dense corymb.        -   Size.—grows to 7 mm deep and 3.5 mm wide.        -   Peduncle.—grows to 3 cm long, 2 mm wide, pubescent, Yellow            Green 147B tinted Greyed Purple 183B in sun.        -   Immature heads.—cylindrical, 1.5 mm wide and 4 mm deep, Red            Purple 64A, glabrous.        -   Receptacle.—disc shaped, 3 mm wide and 1.5 mm deep, Green            136D.        -   Involucra bracts.—about 10, 2- or 3-seriate, 2.5 mm long and            1 mm wide, elliptic, tip and base obtuse, margin entire,            pubescent on margins, glabrous and Red Purple 64A both            sides.        -   Lastingness.—each inflorescence lasts about two weeks on the            plant.-   Florets:    -   -   Type.—composite with 2 to 5 florets per head.        -   Ray florets.—none.        -   Disc florets.—tubular, with stamen and pistil, about 4 in            number, 7 mm long and 2 mm wide; corolla regular, 4.5 mm            long and 2 mm wide, 5 lobed, lower ⅔ Greyed Purple 186C, top            ⅓ including lobes White N155B; pistil 1, 6 mm long, ovary            1.5 mm long, Greyed Purple 182C, style 4 mm long, with            extruding, 2-branched stigma spreading 10 mm wide, style and            stigma White N155B; stamen 5, anthers 1.5 mm long, Greyed            Purple N187A, pollen none seed.        -   Bloom period.—August through frost in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—none.        -   Seed.—none seen.        -   Fertility.—unknown.-   Disease and pests: No pests or diseases have been observed on plants    grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg. No resistances are    known.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct form of Eupalorium plant as shown anddescribed.